India are 1-0 down in the five-match ODI series against South Africa

India and South Africa are on a collision course again in the 2nd ODIReuters

Nothing but a win will do in the 2nd ODI in Indore, really, for India, who are desperate to pick up their first win against South Africa and bring back a semblance of parity and sense into the series which has so far only gone one way.

Whatever India have tried, just hasn't come off as well as South Africa's tricks and skills. AB De Villiers and the rest of the green-clad men have held their nerves a lot better, and that has been the difference in this series.

Even if there are four matches to go in the ODI series, including the one on Wednesday, India really need to win this match. They cannot afford another slipup, something the team, no doubt, will know themselves.

For India, going into this match, apart from the always-there bowling problem, the biggest conundrum is that No.3 batting slot. India skipper MS Dhoni defended his decision to play Ajinkya Rahane in that position, dropping Virat Kohli, India's best ODI batsman, to the No.4 position.

While Rahane scored a half-century, it seems pretty clear for everybody, apart from the India team it seems, that Kohli absolutely must bat at No.3.

That is the position in which Kohli has scored all those runs and won all those matches for India. If Rahane cannot bat in the middle order, then Ambati Rayudu must come in, simple as that.

"We know Rahane was playing his first game and batting at a new position," Rohit Sharma, who scored an immaculate 150, said when asked about the position problem. "I thought he batted really well. He complemented me very well.

"Coming from the same state, we play a lot of cricket together and we know each other's' batting really well which mattered a lot. We ran between the wickets a lot and rotated the strike well. He has got off to a very good start now and I am sure he would want to capitalise on it and score more runs.

"It depends on what MS Dhoni thinks about it. I know Virat has scored most of his runs batting at No. 3, and Ajinkya just played at No.3 and got some runs. But I don't know if it's a permanent solution, but time will tell as to what will be the ideal batting lineup for us.

"No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 are very crucial positions, as we saw in the last game. At the moment we are trying to find out what will be the best combination going forward, but in the next few games, we will have a proper batting line-up. Our next game is important and we have to get the combination and the batting-order right."

With Dhoni struggling to find his own batting groove, it is imperative the top three score most of the runs for India, who will be without their premier spinner R Ashwin, and Kohli needs to be in that top three.

South Africa, who have doubts over the fitness of Faf Du Plessis owing to a knee problem, have no such worries to ponder over, having won all three of the matches played so far on this tour of theirs, but they will also know a wounded India can be tricky opposition to deal with. So play at the top of their game, they must.